Pennant, Carson & Anderson sign

A busy Wednesday at Anfield saw Jermaine Pennant officially sign for Liverpool for a fee in the region of Â£6 million, on a four year contract. The controversial 23 year old winger moves from Birmingham and Rafa Benitez will be hoping he can be the answer to the Reds right midfield problems in recent seasons.

Pennant’s arrival ends any speculation surrounding Sevilla’s Brazilian international Daniel Alves, who seeimingly was priced out of a move to Anfield and left Benitez to go for the cheaper option of the former England under 21 star and Arsenal youngster.

Pennant has flown to Switzerland to meet up with the rest of the squad on their pre-season training camp, and could make his debut vs Kaiserslauten on Saturday.

The boyhood Liverpool fan said “I’m over the moon. I’ve dreamt about this since I was a little boy so to actually be here and to be able to wear a Liverpool shirt and play at Anfield is a dream come true.

“My family have always supported Liverpool and I grew up watching videos of them on the television. My grandad and grandma came here in the seventies and I think Liverpool must have caught their eyes.

“The love of the club has spread through the family ever since. I actually got my first Liverpool kit when I was about four years of age. John Barnes was my idol when I first started watching Liverpool, but then as I got older I loved Robbie Fowler.”

Pennant is the fifth signing this summer so far, joining Gabriel Palletta, Craig Bellamy, Mark Gonzales and Fabio Aurelio. With Pennant being a slightly cheaper option to Alves, it now seems Benitez will turn his attentions to completing a move for Feyernord striker Dirk Kuyt.

It is reported Jan Kromkamp and Jerzy Dudek will be used in part exchange to reduce the cost of the Dutch international. Any deal could be completed within a week.

Also on Wednesday youngsters Scott Carson and Paul Anderson signed contract extensions to tie them to the club until 2011 and 2010, respectively. Goalkeeper Carson could yet still leave on loan, any such move though would be dependent on Dudek leaving or staying.

Midfield mis-fit Salif Diao, available for transfer after an unsuccesful loan spell at Portsmouth at the end of last season, is currently on trail at Charlton.

Another man who is attracting interest from Charlton’s new manager Iain Dowie is defender Djimi Traore, whose agent claims is close to agreeing a move.